Somewhere Out There
by Xanderette43
Summary: What if Xander and Dawn hadn't driven back to Sunnydale? X/D


Title: Somewhere Out There  
  
Author: Christine  
  
E-mail: Buffygirl43@hotmail.com  
  
Pairing: Xander/Dawn  
  
Spoilers: 'End of Days'  
  
Summary: What would've happened if Xander and Dawn didn't come back to Sunnydale?  
  
Distribution: As much as it pains me to admit, I do not own Xander, Dawn or any of the other Buffyverse characters. Darn.  
  
******  
  
The silver Buick sped down the open desert highway, the moonlight illuminating the two passengers inside. While one concentrated on driving, the other next to him was slowly waking up. Xander looked over quickly and saw Dawn opening her eyes and groaning. He focused back on the road and slowed down a little, even though they were the only ones on the highway.  
  
Xander gently touched Dawn's arm. "Dawn? You awake?"  
  
She moved a little and looked at her surroundings. "What happened?"  
  
He looked over at her guiltily. "Um...I thought you might say that."  
  
She peered out the open window and could see endless vegetation in the sandy desert. "Actually, I meant to say what the hell happened."  
  
He figured he might as well tell her the truth. "It was chloroform."  
  
Her eyes clouded in confusion for a moment, the drug still making her groggy. "Color forms? What?"  
  
"No, chloroform." He glanced over at her again. "Are you still loopy?"  
  
She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Sorry about that. Someone knocked me out with chloroform." She sighed. "Xander! Talk to me! Where are we going?"  
  
"Away." He grabbed a small envelope out of his shirt pocket and handed it to her.  
  
She looked over at him again, confused, but not from the drug. "What's this?"  
  
"Open it."  
  
Dawn ripped it open and took the small piece of stationary out. Her heart pounded inside her chest when she realized it was a goodbye letter from Buffy. She began scanning the words and trying not to cry at the same time.  
  
Dearest Dawn,  
  
Don't be angry with Xander. He only did what I told him to do. This isn't the place for either of you right now. Please know that I love you and that everything I do is for you. I promised once to show you this beautiful world, and I'm going to do everything I can to make that possible for you. Please take care of yourself and take care of Xander for me. I chose him because I know you're closer to him then to anyone else in the house. Please don't think of this as a goodbye, I will make it my first priority to see you as soon as this is over. I love you with all my being Dawn, whatever happens, I want you to know that I'll always be with you where ever I am. Give Xander a hug for me, he needs it as much as you do.  
  
I love you so much,  
  
Buffy  
  
A single tear trailed down the side of her face as she slid the letter back into the envelope and into her pocket in her jeans. Wordlessly, Xander reached for her hand and she willingly slipped it into his own. Dawn leaned back on the headrest and closed her eyes, trying to get it through her head that again, her sister might not be making it through the battle, not to mention everyone else. A sob escaped her open lips and her hand flew to her mouth in embarrassment. She was trying so hard not to cry, but with everything that happened before, this was just too much. Xander looked over at her with worry etched on his face. He pulled the car over to the shoulder and cut the engine. Dawn looked up at him with glassy eyes, her hand shaking in his own. He didn't know exactly what to say, everything he could think of sounded wrong somehow.  
  
She looked at him again and blinked, he could see the tears falling freely now. "Dawn..."  
  
She shook her hand out of his grip, opened the car door and walked out. "Dawn!"  
  
He opened his door and ran out, he couldn't let her get hurt, they were in the middle of nowhere and he hadn't seen another car in the last two hours. He saw her standing on the yellow line of the shoulder looking out into the desert; cactus growing everywhere and the orange-yellow sand moving slightly as the wind blew it gently across the earth. He stood next to her as she watched the clouds slowly move across the night sky blocking some of the stars from her view. He felt her hand slip into his again as they just stood there taking everything in around them.  
  
Her voice was quiet, but it had an edge to it that Xander had never heard before from her. "We're not supposed to be here."  
  
He nodded in agreement. "I know."  
  
She turned to him suddenly. "Then why are we?"  
  
He looked into her crystal blue eyes, which were even brighter from crying. "Because Buffy asked me to take you away from Sunnydale."  
  
She grunted in disparity. "I guess we were the useless ones then huh? The ones who if we stayed would probably end up skewered." She looked at the ground, the well-worn asphalt blending into the yellow line designating the side of the road. "I feel so lost Xander. Like you and I are the only people who are going to live through this."  
  
He could feel his throat tighten, and tried holding back his tears. "I know how you feel. Buffy just wants us to be safe."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "How are we going to be safe if they lose? It doesn't matter where we are if the world ends, we'll all end up in the same hell one way or another."  
  
Xander squeezed her hand gently. "We'll just have to be optimistic. Buffy know what she's doing, she wouldn't have told me to get you out of here if she needed us. She has all the help she needs for this fight. It doesn't include us, but that's not to say she doesn't need our support from where ever we end up."  
  
Dawn slowly nodded, even though it pained her to agree with him. She looked at him again, her vision blurred from more unshed tears. "I'm glad she picked you."  
  
He titled his head in confusion. "What?"  
  
"To take me. She wrote it in the letter I just read. She said she picked you not only because she trusts you but because I care about you the most."  
  
Xander was taken aback. "Really?"  
  
She nodded, the hot tears flooding her pretty face again. "Yes."  
  
He pulled her into a hug. She was hesitant at first but as soon as she was enveloped in his embrace she clung to him as if her life depended on it. "I'm glad you're with me right now, I don't think I'd want anyone else."  
  
He leaned his head on top of hers. "Same goes for me."  
  
He could feel her tears soaking up into his shirt. "Xander I'm so scared."  
  
He held her just as tightly. "Me too. We'll figure out what to do soon okay?"  
  
"Alright."  
  
They stayed there for what seemed like forever, but really were only moments when Xander flew backwards and hit the hard pavement.  
  
"Xander!" Dawn saw what had made him fall backwards. A lone vampire walking in the shadows of the night. Probably out of Sunnydale along with the rest of its residents.  
  
She saw Xander get up and start to go after the thing while she ran back to the car to get a stake from her weapons bag. She held it tightly in her hand and ran faster then she ever did before to see Xander struggling with it, the vampires fangs so close to his throat. She vaulted herself at the demon, tackling it and throwing it off balance so that it let go of Xander completely. She rolled with it a few feet and the vampire struck her so hard in the face she saw black spots in front of her eyes. She knew she was bleeding but she didn't care, as long as it didn't hurt Xander. She realized in surprise that she still was holding her stake and without hesitation she jammed the stake into his chest, praying that she hit his heart. The explosion of ashes told her it did.  
  
She heard the crunching sound of someone walking to her and she felt herself being gently lifted to her feet. She turned around slowly and saw a look of amazement on Xander's face. "You saved me."  
  
She dropped the stake to the ground and threw her arms around him. "I couldn't just let him bite one of the people I love the most. And hey, I finally got the heart this time." He looked at her with a different look in his eyes.  
  
"You love me?"  
  
She nodded, pushing her light brown hair away from her face. "I do."  
  
"I love you too Dawn." He smiled and leaned down to kiss her cheek when she moved suddenly and he kissed her lips. He immediately broke apart from her and started muttering apologies, but she was still reeling from the feeling she got from it. She never felt closer to anyone as she did to him at this moment. He saw her just staring at him and he stopped trying to apologize and just stood there looking confused. She moved closer to him and pressed her lips against his again, this time not by accident. She deepened the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck and suddenly felt what she was hoping she'd feel; him kissing her back.  
  
To be continued.... 


End file.
